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Buying a home in Crete, Illinois

The typical owner-occupied home in Crete is worth about $228,500, 13% below the Illinois median of $263,300 and 31% below the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $6,760 a year in property taxes, about 2.96% of their home's value, higher than the Illinois rate of 2.01%. The median household earns $97,147 a year, so the median home costs 2.4 times the median income (3.2 times for Illinois). 90% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 67% of those owners still have a mortgage.

Crete at a glance

Crete Illinois U.S.
Median home value $228,500 $263,300 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $6,760 $5,298 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 2.96% 2.01% 0.94%
Median household income $97,147 $83,390 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 90% 67% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 67% 61% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $1,935 $1,987 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 23.1% 20.6% 21.0%
Median rent $1,309 $1,274 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 33.9% 29.1% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 1976 1971 1980
Vacant homes 4.5% 7.7% 10.1%
Population 8,386 12,694,798 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in Crete

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Crete home of $228,500 with 20% down costs about $1,889 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $2,269, because the loan is bigger and FHA adds mortgage insurance.

Lenders usually want housing costs under about 28% of gross income, which means an income of roughly $80,938 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 23% of the median Crete household income of $97,147; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $274,000.

The median rent here is $1,309 a month, so owning the median home costs about $580 a month more than renting, before you count the equity you build and any tax benefits.

20% down, 30-year conventional loan
Down payment$45,700
Loan amount$182,800
Principal and interest$1,230
Property taxes (2.96% a year)$564
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$95
PMI$0
Total per month$1,889

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3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$7,998
Loan amount$224,361
Principal and interest$1,509
Property taxes (2.96% a year)$564
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$95
FHA mortgage insurance$101
Total per month$2,269

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Questions about home buying in Crete

What is the median home value in Crete?

About $228,500 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in Crete?

Homeowners pay a median $6,760 a year, which is about 2.96% of the median home value. Your bill depends on your home's assessed value and local rates.

What income do you need to buy a home in Crete?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $1,889 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $80,938 a year.

More about Crete

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates; Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, week of November 12, 2026. Estimates for small places have wide margins of error. About our data